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Blast Kills 39 at Wedding in Southern Afghanistan

   VOA News 09 June 2010

   An  official in southern Afghanistan says a blast has killed 39 people
   and wounded more than 70 at a wedding in Kandahar province.
   The  official  says  the  explosion  hit  Wednesday  in  the Arghandab
   district.
   The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
   In  neighboring  Helmand  province, Taliban militants shot down a NATO
   helicopter, killing four U.S. soldiers.
   The  Taliban  says  it  used  rocket-propelled  grenades  against  the
   aircraft, which was flying in the Sangin district.
   Afghan  officials  say  the helicopter was flying at a low altitude to
   support  ground  troops.   Pentagon  spokesman Bryan Whitman said the
   incident  reflects  increased  operations  by both NATO forces and the
   Taliban.
   Elsewhere  in  Helmand, the British Defense Ministry says an explosion
   killed a British soldier Wednesday in the Nahr-e Saraj district. Â
   A  series  of  attacks  in Afghanistan has killed 18 NATO troops since
   Monday.
   U.S.  Defense  Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he expects to see
   signs of progress in Afghanistan by the end of the year.
   He  said  the  top  NATO  and  U.S. military commander in Afghanistan,
   General  Stanley McChrystal, has assured him that enough progress will
   be made to justify a continued presence in the country.
   But  Gates  also  warned  of a "very tough summer" of violence as U.S.
   forces push deeper into Kandahar.
   The  Taliban  has  increased  attacks as NATO seeks to drive the group
   from its stronghold in the south.
   Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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